Indian Navy Developments & Discussions

RAM

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Guarding our 7,600-km coastline is a challenge'

In an exclusive interview with the Hindustan Times, Vice-Admiral Sanjeev Bhasin, flag officer commanding in chief of the Western Naval Command, said securing India's western coast is the Navy's biggest challenge.

The threat perception of terrorists using the sea route, as
they did for 26/11, has increased.


India has a huge coastline, stretching 7,600 km, and we have island territories as well. We, along with the Coast Guard, have fortified patrolling. But there are grey areas where [unauthorised] landings can be carried out because the state governments concerned had not kept them under surveillance till 26/11 occurred.

A detailed plan has been chalked out with the Coast Guard and the Director General of Lighthouses to revive lighthouses and set up 30 radar stations along the western coast.Trials of two such radar stations have started at Okha and Kandla in Gujarat.

The Navy has found it tough to monitor fishing boats.
This is a weakness identified [and exploited] by the terrorists. About 30,000 fishing boats are registered in Gujarat, 20,000 in Maharashtra, 20,000 in Karnataka and 2,000 in Goa.Radar stations fitted with the Automatic Identification System (AIS) have been planned along the coast.

AIS devices will also be installed on these vessels. It is a massive problem and it cannot be taken care of only by the Navy and Coast Guard.We need fishermen's cooperation; we want them to be our eyes and ears. They have been very cooperative.



What new inductions has the Navy lined and when are they expected to join the fleet?
There are 39 ships on order; 34 of them will be made indigenously. Over the next two years, we'll see the induction of three ships in the Shivalik, Talwar and Kolkata class of destroyers.Two fleet tankers, Deepak and Shakti, are being made in Italy. The first one will be here this month. Apart from that, there are two survey ships being built indigenously. There has been some delay in the Scorpene submarine project, but we should see it commissioned by 2015.


When is the aircraft carrier Admiral Gorshkov, renamed Vikramaditya, and the indigenously built aircraft carrier expected to join the fleet?
Vikramaditya's sea trials are scheduled to start in March 2011. It will join the western fleet by the end of 2012. Six MIG 29K's — fighter aircraft — that will operate from the carrier are already flying from [the] Goa [naval base].We will get the remaining aircraft in knock-down state soon and will assemble them at Goa. As far as the indigenously built carrier is concerned, work is on at the Cochin shipyard.It will be equipped to handle both the MiG 29Ks and the naval version of the indigenously built Light Combat Aircraft. We expect the carrier to be commissioned by 2014.


How do you plan to prop up the naval aviation wing, which was recently criticised by the Comptroller and Auditor General for using non-operational aircraft?
We will have eight Boeing P8I aircraft [for long-range maritime reconnaissance] by January 2013.We plan to buy four more. A global request for information [the first stage of procurement] has been floated to procure 56 Naval Utility Helicopters to replace the Chetak helicopters. We are also looking at replacing the anti-submarine warfare helicopter, Seaking.



When will we have the nuclear submarine that is being leased from Russia? How will it bolster our submarine capability?
Before getting to the leased submarine, we have our own indigenously built submarine, INS Arihant. Extensive sea trials are on.As far as the Akula-II class submarines, we plan to name it INS Chakra, and we should have it shortly.


http://www.hindustantimes.com/Guarding-our-7-600-km-coastline-is-a-challenge/Article1-633332.aspx
 

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Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Navy Day Press Conference


A combo of photos of India's Navy Chief Admiral Nirmal Verma at the annual Navy Day Press meet in Delhi. Navy Day is on December 4. Photos: Navy PRO

(Official Press Release from Indian Navy, reproduced below)

Good Morning Ladies and Gentlemen. At the outset, let me thank you for being here for this year's press conference. I can see that all forms and sections of the media are represented. I would like to take this opportunity to compliment you for your contributions in keeping the nation informed of our defence needs and imperatives.
I will make some opening remarks after which I will take your questions. As you are aware, on 4th Dec every year, we celebrate Navy Day, to commemorate the daring and innovative actions taken by our Navy during the 1971 conflict that helped contribute to our resounding victory. The Navy Day is an occasion to remember our war heroes and rededicate ourselves to the service of the nation. Indeed, the theme of this Navy Week, 'Glorious Wake, Vibrant Future', reflects this very sentiment.

Overview
I am happy to inform you that since I spoke to you at last year's Navy Week Conference, the Navy has pressed forward towards enhancing maritime security and safeguarding our economic and strategic interests. Today, the Indian Navy stands committed to providing stability not just in the Indian Ocean Region, but also ensuring unhindered access across the oceans, wherever our interests may lie.
Over the past year, we have maintained a high tempo of operations. Our ships, submarines and aircraft have conducted sustained operations towards safeguarding our maritime interests. We have operated in tandem with navies of friendly nations in the form of naval exercises, as well as cooperative security initiatives in support of our foreign policy. We have consolidated our coastal security organisation and infrastructure. In addition, we have moved steadily forward in our quest for greater indigenisation of our equipment along with nurturing of our human resources.

Capability Building

Generation of a modern force structure capable of undertaking maritime missions across the entire spectrum of operations has been our focus area. There are, presently, 36 ships and submarines on order in various Indian shipyards. Our ship and submarine building programmes are largely on-track. Amongst the major projects, the construction of our Indigenous Aircraft Carrier at Kochi is progressing satisfactorily, though with some hiccups, and the refurbishment of Vikramaditya at Russia is doing well.
In terms of force development, our first stealth frigate, INS Shivalik, is already in commission, and two more ships of the class will be commissioned soon. Other significant programmes in the pipeline are three Kolkata Class destroyers, four advanced anti-submarine corvettes and six Scorpene Class submarines. Four modern Offshore Patrol Vessels and our second sail training ship are at various stages of construction. Orders for five Offshore Patrol Vessels and two Cadets' Training Ships have also been placed on private shipyards. The Government has also accorded approval to induct 4 Landing Platform Dock ships or LPDs under 'Buy and Make Indian' clause and six submarines under Project 75 India. Among the inductions planned from abroad are the Carrier Vikramaditya, which all of you know about, three follow-on ships of the Talwar Class from Russia, and two replenishment tankers from Italy. The first of the tankers is likely to arrive in India by the end of December this year and will be delivered to us by early 2011.
The Indian Navy is focussed on achieving self-reliance through indigenisation. Towards this end, we are committed to supporting our indigenous shipbuilding industry. The response from both public and private shipyards for the Navy's requirements has been encouraging, owing to which our force levels will see an upward trend. New ships will continue to be inducted at regular intervals.
I have mentioned Vikramaditya earlier. Her induction has been delayed due to increase in the scope-of-work, which consequently led to an unavoidable upward revision in price. I wish to inform you that since our last interaction, significant progress has been made, especially over the past few months. All efforts are being made to ensure that Vikramaditya is delivered to us by Dec 2012. We are fully seized of the significance of the project and both sides are doing their best to affect timely delivery of the ship.

In the interim, Mid-life Upgrades (MLUs) of 13 ships has been approved and the ships are being upgraded accordingly. After their MLU, the already very capable ships of the Rajput Class, as also those of the Godavari Class, will emerge as significantly more capable and modernised 21st Century combatants.
In order to enhance our surveillance capabilities, twelve P 8I Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft are planned for induction. During my recent visit to the US, I had the opportunity to personally review the progress of this project and I am happy to state that the production of the aircraft is well on track. These are extremely modern and capable aircraft and will enhance our surveillance, anti-surface and anti-submarine preparedness significantly. Delivery of these aircraft is expected to commence in Jan 2013. We have also initiated the process to acquire Medium Range Maritime Reconnaissance aircraft to further augment our surveillance capabilities.

The Navy's Carrier borne fighter aviation has also seen added impetus with the induction of the first batch of the MiG 29K aircraft in February this year. Our aircrews are already flying the aircraft and an Intensive Flying Training Unit has been set up to complete the task in a time-bound manner. An additional contract for 29 MiG 29K fighters has also been signed recently. Our indigenous naval fighter programme marked a significant milestone this year, with the first 'roll out' of the naval version of the LCA on 6th July at Bangalore. We expect the first flight to take place his month.
The Navy is also in the process of procuring 16 Multi Role Helicopters to augment the surveillance and attack capabilities of ships. Procurement of the Naval Utility Helicopter, as a replacement for our Chetak fleet, has also been initiated. The existing fleet of Seaking and Kamov helicopters is planned for a Mid Life Upgrade in order to provide them a sophisticated sensor suite. All these steps would provide the requisite fillip for the Naval Air Arm to be even more effective in its assigned tasks.
We also have an indigenously developed data link and combat management system. It is a matter of great pride for us that a large percentage of the systems being inducted on ships are indigenous. It is even more heartening that some of these have a fair amount of in-house R&D contribution by naval personnel.

Infrastructure

Our expanding maritime interests require a growing Navy. To cater for such growth plans, we also have had to put new infrastructure in place. These include a second phase of expansion of the naval base at Karwar, planned induction of a second floating dock and upgradation of our dockyards and aircraft repair yards, to keep pace with new inductions and ensure infusion of new technologies.

Coastal Security Initiatives

Coastal security is a key area in our overall maritime security architecture. In this regard, one of the most significant achievements of the last year has been the integration of all maritime stakeholders, including the several State and Central agencies into the coastal security matrix. As a result, there is today far better coordination, synergy and understanding among all agencies. Intelligence and information sharing has undergone a transformational change. Real time information flow among all stakeholders has resulted in more effective and rapid response by the seagoing agencies to a developing situation.
The Indian Navy had established four Joint Operation Centres at Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, Kochi and Port Blair. In addition, the state Marine Police and other agencies such as Customs, Intelligence Bureau, Ports, etc. are also networked with these centres. Besides these, each coastal district is under an Area Operations Centre for coordinating coastal security activities.
In addition, coastal security exercises have been conducted in every coastal state in conjunction with the Coast Guard, marine police, customs, immigration and Port authorities to achieve and maintain a high level of synergy. In all, ten exercises on the West coast, nine on the East coast, two in L&M islands and two in A&N Islands have been conducted this year. During these exercises, several contingency scenarios were simulated and all agencies with a stake in coastal security participated, with a view to improve coordination, achieve integration and improve the coastal security mechanism even further.

In a focused drive to increase the awareness of our large fishing community and integrate it into the coastal security matrix, 89 awareness campaigns have been conducted, covering all coastal districts. This is an ongoing endeavour, and will be continued in the years ahead.

Maritime Domain Awareness

Improving our awareness of the maritime domain is key to maritime security. I am of the view that attaining awareness of the maritime domain is not a localized action to be undertaken by a single agency, but one that requires participation of many agencies at the national level including the Navy and Coast Guard, government departments concerned with maritime activities, governments of coastal states and island territories, law enforcement and intelligence agencies, and other stakeholders in maritime security.
Towards creating a common information grid to synergise the efforts of all stakeholders, an Approach Paper for achieving comprehensive Maritime Domain Awareness, was formulated by the Navy in March this year. The concept of National MDA was approved by the National Committee for Strengthening Maritime and Coastal Security (NCSMCS) in Apr 10 and subsequently, the Navy has formulated a Detailed Project Report for implementing it as a national project. Once implemented, integrated National MDA will enable effective sharing of maritime related information among all stakeholders, thereby leading to more informed decision making and faster response by security agencies. You would recall that I had mentioned during my interaction with you last year that this would have high priority in the Navy's agenda for this year. I am happy to report that we have maintained our timeline in this complex, but extremely important endeavour.

Blue Water Operations

While I have spoken at length about the progress made in enhancing our coastal security, I wish to emphasise that we have not neglected our blue water operations, and the Indian Navy continues to sharpen its capabilities through regular fleet exercises, both within the Navy, as well as with our major international partners. Suffice it to say, that our powder is dry and we stand ready to combat any malafide activity intended to harm our national integrity and interests.

Cooperative Maritime Security

As India's development is predicated on a stable geo-strategic environment, it is in our interest that we play an active role in this regard, based on the twin principles of cooperative security and shared prosperity. The Indian Navy has developed excellent professional relations through maritime interactions with regional as well as extra-regional powers. There is almost universal acceptance of the Indian Navy's credentials and recognition of the vital contribution that we can make towards the security and prosperity of the entire region. Drawing on our human resources and technical expertise, the Indian Navy is involved in both capacity and capability building of our maritime friends in the region. We are also the hub for hydrographic training in the IOR.
We are proud of the fact that the Indian Navy has emerged as a versatile and flexible diplomatic instrument for the country. Our initiatives have included MILANs at Port Blair which is attended not only by the South and SE Asian navies, but from even farther afield. We also have the distinction of undertaking naval exercises with all the major navies of the world, with 13 such exercises being held in 2010.
The Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), launched by Indian Navy, has provided a forward-looking framework for constructive engagement amongst navies of the region. This initiative has tremendous potential as an inclusive forum for all stakeholders that have legitimate interests in the region. The IONS has a membership of almost three dozen regional navies. In May this year, the Chairmanship of this grouping was passed on by me to the Commander of the UAE Navy for the period from 2010 to 2012. In the years ahead, I am sure IONS will continue to look at collective and cooperative solutions for issues in Indian Ocean. In addition, under the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), the Indian Navy has contributed positively to discussions on maritime security. We have also contributed to regional efforts for safe navigation in the Malacca Strait.
India today is seen as a net security provider. I am certain that you would agree that good order at sea is critical to our national interests. No navy can hope to ensure good order at sea on its own, and therefore cooperative efforts are increasingly becoming the norm. A robust Indian naval presence is in our interest, so that we can make effective contributions to a cooperative regional security order, in our areas of interest.

The cooperative approach of naval forces to fight piracy off the coast of Somalia is a case in point. Your Navy has discharged its responsibilities with distinction and we continue to have a ship on patrol in the Gulf of Aden escorting merchant ships in direct coordination with the Director General Shipping. To date, over 1350 merchant ships of varying nationalities have been escorted safely and about a hundred of these have been Indian flagged vessels. At least 22 piracy attempts have been averted by the Indian Navy's ships patrolling the Gulf of Aden. India is engaged with other countries on capacity building and consultations in the area of anti-piracy for keeping access points open and avoid choking of international trade.

Human Resource Development

I am of the opinion that our men and women are our most valuable assets. The Navy is facing a shortfall in both uniformed and civilian personnel. Civilian personnel form the backbone of our maintenance force and have longstanding expertise, which we can ill afford to lose. We are making all efforts in conducting special recruitment drives to make good the shortfalls. Shortages of service personnel are also being progressively reduced through additional recruitment.
A word about our women-officers. At the present juncture, women-officers are being inducted as SSC officers into the Law, Logistics, Observers and ATC Cadres of the Executive Branch, in the Naval Constructor Cadre of the Engineering Branch, and, in the Education Branch. The government has approved grant of permanent commission prospectively to women officers in Education, Law and Naval Constructor Cadres.
The well-being of our men and women is an important concern for the Government as well as the Navy. The Married Accommodation Project aimed at providing housing to maximum number of service personnel is progressing well. Our endeavour has been to initiate measures that contribute to an overall sense of well being, satisfaction and pride of our naval personnel and their dependents. Towards this end, the Government has approved upgradation of posts for sailors from the rank of Leading to Petty Officer, which would facilitate promotion of all Leadings to the rank of Petty Officer in a phased manner, within the initial engagement period of 15 years, as against periods of upto 19 years that they may need to wait for at present. Rehabilitation of naval widows has also been a focus area, along with generation of employment-related skills in spouses of naval personnel. We are also actively helping in the placement and employment of retired naval personnel in public sector units. These veterans comprise a large pool of talented and disciplined manpower and can contribute substantially to nation-building activities after they retire from active service.
Sports and Adventure
I am proud to state that 2010 has been a stellar year for achievement in sports and adventure activities. Commander Dilip Donde became the first Indian to complete a solo-circumnavigation of the globe under sail onboard the indigenous Indian Naval Sailing Vessel Mhadei when he arrived back in Mumbai on 22 May 10. He covered 21,600 nautical miles during his 276 day voyage. In continuation of this exploit, INSV Mhadei, with a crew of three officers and one sailor is presently participating in the Cape Town to Rio de Janeiro race.
Indian Navy's sportsmen have consistently done the country proud in the international arena. 81 naval sportsmen represented the country at various international sporting events during 2009-10, winning 19 Golds, eight Silvers and one Bronze medal in them. Naval sportsmen won six Golds, one Silver and one Bronze medal during the Commonwealth Games at New Delhi. A naval sailor, Sanjeev Rajput, MCPO II QA 3, was conferred with the Arjuna Award for excellence in Shooting. Naval sportsmen have also won three medals (two Silvers and one Bronze) at the Guangzhou Asian Games. It goes without saying, that we are extremely proud of their achievement.
Concluding Remarks
Let me conclude by stating that the future holds out numerous challenges for the Indian Navy as we step into the next decade. Along with force modernisation and operational capability enhancement, my focus would be towards maintaining a high tempo of operations towards strengthening all aspects of maritime security, as well as building a versatile, networked and capable maritime force that is suited to defend national interests in the future.






http://tarmak007.blogspot.com/2010/12/snapshots-snippets-from-navy-day-press.html
 

Patriot

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Our indigenous naval fighter programme marked a significant milestone this year, with the first 'roll out' of the naval version of the LCA on 6th July at Bangalore. We expect the first flight to take place his month.
This is the Good News in the same month Tejas will get IOC & naval tejas is going to test fly.:happy_7:
 

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India concerned over China's ASBM programme: Navy Chief

NEW DELHI (PTI): India on Thursday said China's programme for developing an anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) is a matter of concern and that it needed to look at its deployment and put in place a mechanism to counter it.

"As far as a weapon like ASBM is concerned, if it is operationally fielded, certainly it is a matter of concern," Navy Chief Admiral Nirmal Verma said at a press conference here on being asked about his assessment of China's programme in this regard.

However, he said, India had to watch for the areas that these ASBMs would be operationally fielded and come out with an answer for this threat to its warships, particularly the two Carrier Battle Groups (CBGs) it plans to have in the future.


The Anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM).

Carrier Battle Groups are a warship formation with an aircraft carrier as its centerpiece and are power demonstrators. But ASBMs are projected as weapons that could make CBGs look like sitting ducks, though the Indian Navy itself does not believe it to be so.

"The areas in which it (ASBM) will be deployed in our area of operation are something we need to look at. And certainly we need to have something in place with respect to ASBM-type of weapon and we will put it in place," he said.

Verma said the Navy's present plans was for having two CBGs for the western and eastern seaboards in the near future for which it was building an indigenous aircraft carrier to join the INS Vikramaditya, the erstwhile Russian Admiral Gorshkov aircraft carrier, to form the two CBGs.

But the force levels would not be restricted to the two CBGs.

"Our present plans are basically for two CBGs and not entirely restricted to them. Because we have smaller groups for different tasks," he said.

Asked about China's venture into the Indian Ocean Region, Verma said since both India and China's economies were growing, there was a need for the protection of the sea lanes of communication.

"The feeling of protecting the sea lanes is there in both countries. But, as far as Indian Navy is concerned, we keep the security scenario in mind before making our plans," he said.

On China building ports for Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, the Navy Chief said there were several Indian Ocean
countries that sought help for building their infrastructure and that some or the other bigger nations in the region would certainly provide that help.

He said it was no different with Sri Lanka or Bangladesh.

But, he said, there was a huge difference between building a port and using them for their own military or economic purposes by these foreign powers.

"And it has been amply made clear by these countries that someone is building the port and not using them," he added.






http://www.brahmand.com/news/India-concerned-over-China%E2%80%99s-ASBM-programme-Navy-Chief/5678/1/10.html
 

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Indian Navy Makes Strides In Maritime Security
By Neelam Mathews [email protected]
NEW DELHI


The lack of inter-agency security coordination exposed during the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks resulted in the Indian navy taking numerous initiatives to strengthen security of coastal areas.

The most significant step has been the integration of all maritime stakeholders, including several state and central agencies into the coastal security matrix, according to Chief of Naval Staff Adm. Nirmal Verma.



"I am of the view that attaining awareness of the maritime domain is not a localized action to be undertaken by a single agency," Verma said here Dec. 2 at a press conference held for Navy Day, which is celebrated on Dec. 4.

"Intelligence and information sharing has undergone a transformational change," he continued. "There is today far better coordination, synergy and understanding among all agencies."

There are 36 ships and submarines currently on order at Indian shipyards. These include construction of an indigenous aircraft carrier, which is "progressing satisfactorily, though with some hiccups," Verma says. The refurbished Vikramaditya (Gorshkov) is expected to be delivered from Russia by the end of 2012. In the interim, mid-life upgrades of 13 ships have been approved.

The government also has approved the induction of four Landing Platform Dock ships, or LPDs, and six submarines under Project 75 India. The first of the two replenishment tankers is likely to arrive in India by the end of December.

The navy's aviation wing has started inducting 16 MiG-29Ks since February, with an additional contract for 29 more fighters signed recently. Also, "we expect the first flight of the naval version of the [Light Combat Aircraft] to take place his month," Verma says.

The navy also is in the process of procuring 16 Multi-Role Helicopters for surveillance. "Procurement of the Naval Utility Helicopter as a replacement for our Chetak fleet has been initiated," Verma says. "The existing fleet of Sea King and Kamov helicopters is planned for a mid-life upgrade for sensor suites."

The navy is not focusing on advanced early warning systems and is concentrating instead on Russian rotary-wing alternatives, Verma says.

The navy also has placed orders for 12 Boeing P-8I maritime patrol aircraft. "During my recent visit to the U.S. [I took time to] personally review the progress of this project," Verma says. "These are extremely modern and capable aircraft and will enhance our surveillance, anti-surface and anti-submarine preparedness significantly." Delivery is expected to start in January 2013.

"We have also initiated the process to acquire medium-range maritime reconnaissance aircraft to further augment our surveillance capabilities," Verma says.

As for whether the Communications and Information Security Memorandum of Agreement (Cismoa) that India has refused to sign with the U.S. will affect access to the full capability of the aircraft, Verma says: "Our requirement, by and large, has been [fulfilled] by the End-User Monitoring Agreement signed some time back."

"There is no doubt that by not signing Cismoa, India will not have access to full capability," a senior navy official says. "However, geopolitics rules in government decisions, and this could be leveraged at a later date [by India] during discussions on other politically infused subjects."

Photo: MiG-29K







http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/story_generic.jsp?topicName=india&id=news/awx/2010/12/03/awx_12_03_2010_p0-273608.xml&headline=Indian%20Navy%20Makes%20Strides%20In%20Maritime%20Security
 

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Navy to induct more indigenous ships

Noting that the Indian Navy was taking up a massive induction progra-mme to ensure greater protection of its maritime interests, Easter Naval Command (ENC) commanding officer in chief, Vice-Admiral Anup Singh said, "Over 39 ships and submarines (many indigenously manufactured) including an aircraft carrier would be inducted in the next decade-and-a-half."

He added that the Navy was actively pursuing an induction policy. Noting that the Indian Navy had played an instrumental role in the 1971 victory by launching decisive assaults, the Vice-Admiral observed that the victory had been celebrated as Navy Day ever since. The Vice-Admiral will be the chief guest at the Navy Day celebrations here on Saturday, where over 22 ships and six types of aircraft and a submarine will take part in the demonstration.

Addressing media persons aboard INS Jalashwa here on Friday, Vice-Admiral Anup Singh said that this would help make up for the lost decade (1980-1991). Noting that the financial crunch experienced by the Indian economy during that period had virtually frozen the re-induction programme, the Vice-Admiral said that things were about to change.

He added that India would not only be the sixth country in the world to induct its own nuclear powered submarines but would also be one of the few countries to have indigenously designed and built an aircraft carrier.

Observing that a newer class of stealth destroyers based on the INS Shivalik design was also being manufactured, he noted that this would provide additional firepower to Navy.

Speaking on the changing nature of warfare and the challenges posed to the Indian Navy, the Vice-Admiral said, "After 26/11, surveillance of the coastline in the country has changed in nature. Thanks to the threat being posed by asymmetric warfare waged by an invisible enemy an integrated maritime security system has been developed."

He said that the various stakeholders were the constabulary forces, the ministry of petroleum and natural gas, port authorities, customs and fisherfolk along with the Coast Guard and the Navy.

Speaking on the progress of work at the new base in Rambilli, he said that it was on at a brisk pace. Commanding Officer Staff, Eastern Naval Command, Rear Admiral K.B. Singh, Flag Officer Commanding Eastern Fleet, Rear Admiral P. Murugesan, Admiral Superintendent, Naval Dockyard, Rear Admiral A.V. Subehdar and Flag Officer Submarines, Rear Admiral Michael Titus Moreas were among those present.

idrw.org
 

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Frigate INS Trikand has been moved to pre-launching position

Frigate INS Trikand being built for Indian Navy by Yantar shipyard (JSC United Shipbuilding Corporation) was moved to pre-launching position on Nov 24.


Photo: Hull of INS Trikand. Yantar Shipyard Press Service

INS Trikand (stands for "bow") is the last ship in the series of three Project 11356 frigates which are built by Yantar shipyard since 2006. First two – INS Teg ("sword") and INS Tarkash ("quiver") have been already launched and are prepared for trials.

Before moving to pre-launching position, the third frigate was armed with BrahMos missile launcher, and equipped with propulsion shafts, screws, and nose fairing with sonar system.

INS Trikand has occupied pre-launching position – that is just the place where the ship will be launched from in March 2011 in accordance with the construction schedule.

Baltic shipyard Yantar was established on July 8, 1945 on the facilities of German yard F. Schichau. The shipyard specializes in small- and medium-size warships and civil vessels, as well as conducting ship repair works. Through 65-year history, the yard has built 154 warships and over 500 civil vessels. Currently, major shareholder of JSC Yantar is governmental company JSC United Shipbuilding Corporation.





http://www.rusnavy.com/news/navy/index.php?ELEMENT_ID=10917
 

RAM

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India's first warship design centre to reduce dependency



Thiruvananthapuram, Dec 5 (IANS) With the inauguration of the country's first warship design centre at Challiyar in Kerala's Kozhikode district in 18 months, 75 percent of the Indian Navy's vessels would be made in the country itself - reducing the dependency on other nations, an official said.Defence Minister A.K. Antony has been for long speaking of indigenising military hardware and this is one step towards that.


'In this centre, the design for warships will be drawn up and a prototype will be made. Once this is approved, the manufacture of ships can be taken up by the shipyards,' Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) managing director Alkesh Kumar Sharma told IANS.At the moment, the ships of the Indian Navy are only around 25 percent indigenised. Through this new design centre, that would go up to as high as 75 percent,' he added.The foundation stone for the design centre will be laid next month, the official said.The Rs.600 crore (around $133 million) project will be set up under the defence ministry with the full support of three major ports in the country. The Kerala industries department will play the role of the local facilitator.Sharma said the state's share would be limited to the extent of the 41 acres of land that has been provided.


'The major participating companies in this mega project include Mazagon Dock Ltd and the Goa Shipyard. They will have a share in the equity, with the central government also chipping in,' he said.


Due to Antony's efforts, the project has come to Kerala, which of late has seen a string of central projects setting up shop in the state.Kerala Industries Minister Elamaram Kareem said the state government has fulfilled the role assigned to it.'The land for the project has been handed over and we have done what we were supposed to do,' said Kareem, who is happy as the project is to come up in his home district.


Another highlight of the project is that a training centre also is planned to be set up to enable professionals to be groomed in all aspects of warship building.'More than the direct jobs, this industry provides for a wide range of ancillary industries to come up and it is here that the trained manpower will be able to find a good number of jobs,' Sharma said.Once the project starts business, the Beypore Port which is near the site is expected to see more activity
http://sify.com/news/india-s-first-...uce-dependency-news-national-kmfp4hfhafj.html
 

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India's Naval might- News X


I also share the concern that navy might lose its edge doing policing role near the coast, while it should be in high seas patrolling there & preparing itself for war....
 
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Navy Launches Fourth Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel - NOPV Sumitr

The fourth of the new Naval Offshore Patrol Vessel (NOPV) was ceremoniously launched on 06 Dec 2010 at the Goa Shipyard by Smt Sheila Singh, wife of Shri RK Singh, Secretary (Defence Production).

The Chief Guest, Shri RK Singh, Secretary (Defence Production), Rear Admiral Sudhir Pillai NM, Flag Officer Commanding Goa Area, RAdm (Retd) Vineet Bakshi, Chairman & Managing Director GSL and various other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

The NOPV will help meet the increasing requirement of the Indian Navy for undertaking ocean surveillance and surface warfare operation in order to prevent infiltration and transgression of maritime sovereignty.




This Vessel will be deployed for monitoring sea lines of communication, defense of offshore oil installations and other important offshore national assets. Besides this, the Vessel can be deployed for escorting high value ships and fleet support operations. Sporting a flight deck, the vessel also supports operation of helicopters.

The fourth of its class, NOPV Sumitra, is powered by twin diesel engines, each driving a controllable pitch propeller through a reduction gearbox. The Vessel is fitted with state-of-the –art Navigation, Communication and Electronic Warfare equipment. A 76 mm SRGM and two 30 mm Guns with associated fire control system together with four chaff launchers form the main weaponry package of the vessel.




http://livefist.blogspot.com/2010/12/indian-navy-opv-sumitra-launched.html
http://www.india-defence.com/reports-4882
 
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Sridhar

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We may invest in some Indian companies
Aman Malik & Anil Padmanabhan


India's effort to rapidly enhance its defence capability has turned it into potentially one of the world's biggest buyers of defence equipment. A project that has attracted a lot of attention has been the joint venture between French naval defence company DCNS and Indian shipyard Mazagon Dock Ltd (MDL) to produce six Scorpene submarines under an Indian project called Project 75 (P75). Some of the attention came its way following allegations of kickbacks, delays and cost overruns. DCNS is also competing with companies from Russia, Spain and Germany for a $11 billion (Rs.49,280 crore) follow-on order for six submarines under a programme called Project 75 (India) (P75I). When it is awarded, the follow-on order will be the biggest purchase by the Indian Navy.

Patrick Boissier, chairman and chief executive officer of DCNS, who was a part of the delegation accompanying French President Nicolas Sarkozy on his visit to India, spoke in an interview on a range of issues, including the status of the Scorpene project and allegations of kickbacks. Edited excerpts:

How important is the Indian defence market, looking ahead?

The Indian market is quite important. If you look at the global market for naval defence programmes, it is evident that while the defence industry in the West is shrinking, in South Asia and South-East Asia it is increasing. So the prospects of defence cooperation with India look very promising.

What is the final size of the Scorpene deal likely to be? It is understood that the first three vessels will be built at a cost of $2.1 billion, while the remaining three will be built at a cost of $0.9 billion. Can you confirm these figures?

This was the initial budget, but it is a long-term programme, which also had some teething problems. But we have overcome these problems. The cost of the entire programme will be in line with the budget, obviously taking into account increases in costs that have gone up with time. But I cannot put an exact figure to it.

What is the current status of construction of the submarines at MDL? When is the first submarine likely to roll out of MDL?

Building a submarine is something very complex. We started this programme five years ago, first by transferring technology to MDL. Developing submarine technologies takes a very long time and (a) lot of expertise. MDL is currently fabricating the hulls. You must understand that constructing a hull is not just welding steel. The foremost concern is the safety of the crew. A submarine, therefore, has to be reliable. It has to have good acoustic dispersion, so that there is no noise. In order to achieve that, you have to be very precise. MDL has completely mastered that technique. The hulls of two submarines have been completed and work on the third is under way.

Can you update us on the matter of transfer of technology?

I can say that as far as the hull is concerned, the transfer of technology has been completely done. We make a regular check of the people in the yard. I must say that the people at MDL are very good. They have achieved very high standards, which are even better than the French standards.

There was an issue related to the procurement of some critical equipment from Armaris—as part of the Mazagaon Procurement Material (MPM) category—which was earlier quoted at anywhere between $700 million and $1.044 billion, but the price was brought down to $444 million during the recent visit to Paris by Indian defence secretary Pradeep Kumar. Can you confirm this? (Armaris is a joint venture between DCNS and Thales SA, the European maker of defence electronics. MPM refers to a set of critical components that are to be imported, and on which France had earlier refused to transfer technology. There were also problems related to cost negotiations.)

The MPM pertains to all the equipment that is in the submarine. It took some time for us to resolve the MPM order. All the issues related to the MPM equipment have been settled and it has been ordered. A part of this equipment will be produced in India. So we can say that the programme is now fully on track. The cost of the MPM equipment will be in line with the budget.

As of now, what is the percentage of indigenous Indian content in the Scorpene submarines?

First, as I said, the fabrication of the hull has been completely mastered by MDL. I think, it is for the first time ever that the submarine has been built in the country of the customer, starting with the first submarine. Usually, even with a ToT (transfer of technology) agreement, the first submarine is built in the premises of the original equipment manufacturer (OEM). The MPM equipment will be progressively indigenized, beginning with the first submarine. You cannot, however, talk of percentages. Most of the equipment that can be built in India will be built in India. Even for those things that are bought form abroad, some subsystems will be built in India.

Can you brief us on the cooperation with Indian industry with regard to the P75 programme, specifically the areas in which DCNS is transferring technology to India/MDL under P75?

As I said, under P75, most of the technology will be transferred to MDL. But we are not limiting our cooperation with MDL. We are also cooperating with a lot of other companies in India. To indigenize the equipment, we are in touch with a lot of big- and medium-sized companies in India. We have set up a subsidiary in India, which has been done for the purpose of increasing our capability to interact with Indian companies, and not just for the P75 programme.

How has this experience played out for you in India? How was this cultural difference managed?

This is a completely different culture, and this was an interesting part of our job. It took us a while to get to know each other better, but now I can say that the teams are working well with each other. And we are sure that our joint programme here will be successful.

DCNS and Spanish company Navantia have ended their collaboration and decided to go their separate ways in undersea warfare equipment. Could you outline the reasons for the split? What impact, if at all, might the split have on the current programme and your bid for P75I?

We had a long-term cooperation with Navantia, which went through some problems... I cannot go through the specifics of the problems. But the most important thing is that, in the end, we have settled the dispute amicably and have decided to end our cooperation. DCNS is now the sole manufacturer and seller of Scorpenes. This split will have no negative impact but will rather make things simpler.

But you now have another competitor.

Yes, we do have another competitor, but we believe our submarines are the best. We have now been in partnership with MDL for a while, which puts us in a good position.

How do you view your chances for the repeat order of six submarines under P75I? Do you think that the taint of kickbacks in Scorpene deals, both in India and in Malaysia, will hurt French chances? Now you not only have the Spaniards to contend with as competitors, but also the Russians and the Germans.

First, I must stress that DCNS is a well-known global player in the defence business. We strictly follow the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) requirements. As far as the P75I goes, I think we have a real chance of success, despite the fact that we face good competition.

Investigations into the sale of Scorpenes to several countries including India are reportedly gaining steam in France. It is being said that these investigations might have some political ramifications in France with several well-known politicians under the scanner. What impact, if at all, is it likely to have on DCNS?

Since this issue is before the courts, I cannot comment on it.

What are your views on the upcoming Defence Procurement Policy (DPP) and as an exporter, and what changes would you like to see in the new policy?

I think the new DPP will be a positive step to further India's defence relationship with the French companies, particularly DCNS. But I cannot comment on the changes that might happen in the DPP.

In your own global perspective, how unique is the Indian market?

If you look at the global market, Indo-Asia is the most important part. If you consider just submarines, more than a hundred will be built in the next 10 years. But the Indian programme is the biggest of all. We have demonstrated with the collaboration with MDL that we can forge links with the Indian industry. We want to go further.

How do you deal with the situation in India, which does not have ground-level indigenous capacities, unlike the more developed markets? The Indian companies are not yet up there, being equal partners. You also have foreign direct investment restrictions in defence in India.

We are forging links with Indian companies to develop technologies here. We may consider investing in some companies in India. We do think we will have a long-term partnerships with Indian companies. We want to increase outsourcing in India.

How viable is it for DCNS to execute your offset obligations vis-a-vis P75 and P75I, assuming you win the contract?

There are no offset obligations in the current programme. And, as I said, it will be progressively indigenized, starting with the third submarine to the last.

You mentioned that South-East Asia is an important market for you. In percentage terms, how does it reflect on your balancesheet?

It is difficult to talk of percentages as that will change year after year. But it is increasing with each passing year. Our programme with MDL is one of the most important for us. So, India will really be important for us in future.

Considering MDL's constricted existing capacity, how viable do you think it is for it to execute P75I, considering it does not have any demonstrated capabilities of making submarines?

One has to consider that building a submarine is a complex task, which needs unique competencies. To acquire those competencies takes long. These have been acquired by MDL, which has the capacity to build one submarine a year. You have to be very careful not to lose that momentum. MDL used to produce submarines 20 years ago. But then there was a gap of 15 years where they did not produce a single submarine. In 15 years, you lose everything. So you need to keep producing regularly.

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http://www.livemint.com/2010/12/07215059/We-may-invest-in-some-Indian-c.html?atype=tp
 

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[Excerpts from a Boeing press release]: WICHITA, Kan., Dec. 7, 2010 -- The Boeing P-8I team began fabricating the first part for the Indian navy's first long-range maritime reconnaissance and anti-submarine warfare aircraft on Dec. 6 in Wichita. The P-8I, based on the Boeing Next-Generation 737 commercial airplane, is a variant of the P-8A Poseidon that Boeing is developing for the U.S. Navy.

Employees at Spirit AeroSystems -- where all Boeing Next-Generation 737 fuselages, nacelles and pylons are designed and built -- cut the P-8I's first part, a bonded aluminum panel that later will be installed on the fuselage's upper lobe to support an antenna. The panel and other fuselage components will come together on Spirit's existing Next-Generation 737 production line.

Spirit will ship the P-8I fuselage to a Boeing Commercial Airplanes facility in Renton, Wash., in mid-2011 for final assembly. After that, Boeing Defense, Space & Security employees will install mission systems and complete testing prior to delivery to India.

Boeing will deliver the first of eight P-8I aircraft to India within 48 months of the original contract signing, which took place in January 2009. India is the first international customer for the P-8
 

RPK

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Creation of Two New Forward Naval Bases --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

15:37 IST
The Government has accorded in principle approval to setting up of certain naval infrastructure at two places on the East Coast. Coastal security issue is the top priority of the Government and a number of measures are being taken separately. This includes enhanced surveillance and patrolling by the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard. Joint Operational exercises are taking place on regular basis among the Navy, the Coast Guard, the Coastal State Police, Customs and others to check the effectiveness of the integrated approach adopted for the security of coastal areas. Further the intelligence has been streamlined through the creation of Joint Operation Centres. Creation of naval infrastructure is based on naval requirements and threat perception and is an on-going process.

This information was given by Defence Minister Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri Parimal Nathwani in Rajya Sabha today.

DM/MMB


http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=68238
 

wild goose

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Eying China, India Plans New East Coast Navy Bases



NEW DELHI - India's plans to build naval infrastructure on the east coast is a sign of the extra emphasis the country is placing on its defenses against China, analysts here say.

Defence Minister A.K. Antony told the parliament Dec. 8 that the government has approved building two new naval installations on the east coast.

"The Government has accorded in principle approval to setting up of certain naval infrastructure at two places on the East Coast," according to the Defence Ministry's official statement. "Coastal security is the top priority of the Government, and a number of measures are being taken separately."

The locations of the new facilities have not been announced. The Indian Navy has bases at Vishakapatnma, Karwar, Mumbai and Kochi.

Sources in the Navy said the two installations could house future submarines.


The Indian Navy is developing a submarine operating base at its new base at Karwar along with the current submarine base at Vishakapatnam.


The service is also developing the second phase of the Karwar base on the western seaboard, which will eventually be the biggest such base this side of the Suez, an Indian Navy official said.



http://defensenews.com/story.php?i=5189187&c=ASI&s=SEA
 

RAM

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First indigenous anti-submarine rocket handed over to Navy#


PUNE: The first lot of 20 anti-submarine missiles, designed by the Ammunition Factory, Khadki (AFK), was handed over to the Indian Navy at a function on Tuesday. This is India's first indigenous, anti-submarine rocket.

As per AFK officials, two variants of the rocket that can strike at a range of 1.5 km and 6 km respectively have been developed. Besides, the rockets have been classified into two categories -- practice ones and high explosive ones. The Navy needs 3,000 such pieces.

The factory has a capacity to produce 1,000 per year. The first lot of 20 practice rockets was handed over to Rear Admiral S Kulshrestha, Director General Naval Armament Inspection, Delhi, by B N Singh, senior General Manager of AFK. "The Ammunition Factory Khadki, under the Ordnance Factory Board of Ministry of Defence, has indigenously developed an anti-submarine rocket with the Indian Navy to meet their tactical requirement. The Ministry of Defence had given the mandate to OFB to make indigenous efforts for developing new products for defence forces. To accelerate the process of in-house development of ammunition stores, the OFB set up an ordnance development centre at the AFK," said B N Singh.

Singh said the work started nearly four years back. These surface to water anti-submarine missiles can be launched from the ship and can destroy any submarine plying in a depth of 30 meters to 300 meters under the sea.

Kulshrestha applauded the synergy between OFB and the Indian Navy. "The induction of these rockets will strengthen the fire power of Indian Navy and will reduce our dependence on foreign countries. This will also enhance the value of production of the ammunition factory by more than Rs 60 to Rs 100 crore per annum," he said.

The rocket can carry up to 23 kilogram to 28 kilogram tri nitro terylene explosive. Several environmental tests have been successfully carried out on the rockets.


Read more: First indigenous anti-submarine rocket handed over to Navy - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...to-Navy/articleshow/7062185.cms#ixzz17YKo4RMh
 

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India to allow private shipyards to manufacture naval ships

In a major policy shift, the Indian government will allow private Indian shipyards to construct naval ships, an activity which was previously limited to state owned ship building companies. This will open up the field for foreign investment in Indian shipyards and see a major infusion of technology and finance into the domestic shipbuilding industry.


The Indian Navy has one of the most ambitious ship induction programs in the world as part of its master plan to become a blue water navy in the 21st century. The Defence Minister A K Antony has said that starting Janaury 2011, state owned shipyards will have to compete with private ones for ship building contracts.

"Government has taken a decision that from January 2011 onwards, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) will not give any nominations to the defence shipyards for Naval projects and they will have to compete with the private shipyards for the tenders," Antony said Wednesday in a report quoted to a news agency.

The Government will procure equipment for the Navy under 'Buy Indian Make Indian' category where both PSU and private sector shipyards will have to compete for tenders, he said.

He said initially the policy would be applicable for Navy only, gradually it would be extended to acquisition by the Indian Army and Air Force as well forces.
 

RPK

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http://www.financialexpress.com/news/navy-gets-nod-for-lpds-acquisition/722260/


Navy gets nod for LPDs' acquisition

The Indian Navy is fast building up on its capabilities to sea lift and to launch assault on both water and land.

The central government has given approval for the acquisition of four landing platform docks (LPDs) to transport and land various elements of amphibious force to support ashore operations.

The amphibious warships, with helipads and capacity to move large number of troops and tanks or humanitarian aid, would be a match to the second largest combat ship in the Indian Navy's flotilla INS Jalashwa (earlier USS Trenton).

The approval for LPDs has been given by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) 'Buy and Make Indian' clause of the the Defence Procurement Policy (DPP-9).

"Under the 'Buy and Make Indian' category, the defence ministry would invite proposals from those Indian industries that have requisite financial and technical capabilities to enter into joint ventures and also absorb technology and undertake indigenous.
 

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http://www.dnaindia.com/india/repor...ussian-firm-to-overcome-mig-shortfall_1478732


Defence ministry talks deal with Russian firm to overcome MiG shortfall


The ministry of defence (MoD) is negotiating price for a draft supplement agreement (DSA) with Russia's RAC-MiG Corporation to buy additional equipment to overcome the teething problems it is facing in keeping its MiG-29K fleet flying.

MiG-29K aircraft, which were inducted into Indian Navy in February 2010, have been suffering tyre bursts whenever emergency brakes are applied during landing. Emergency brakes are applied whenever there is hydraulic failure and DSA is expected to solve this problem.

A naval officer said, "Emergency application is jamming brakes and increasing the risk of tyre skidding, and eventually bursting."
DSA will entail supply of ground support items and spares and ensure life-long serviceability.

MiG-29K have fly-by-wire controls with quadruple redundancy and are an all-weather carrier-based multi-role fighter aircraft based on INS Hansa off Goa.

The navy has six such aircraft which are undergoing flying-training at its Goa-based intensive flying training unit. All these are under warranty.

As per MoD's first contract with RAC-MiG, 16 such aircraft are to join the navy. A second contract for an additional 29 MiG-29K was cleared by the cabinet earlier this year, making it a fleet of 45.
DSA will be life long and apply to all MiG-29K.

Earlier this month, a MiG-29K suffered hydraulic failure, forcing the pilot to apply emergency brakes while landing on INS Hansa, which resulted in a tyre burst. But a source said such failures have been happening ever since the aircraft were inducted into the navy.
 

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